Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 394
SPOKANE VALLEY — At the June 25 City Council meeting, legislative coordinator Virginia Clough and county Emergency Management Planner Mark Conrad presented a report detailing the city’s Continuity of Operations Plan, a component of the interlocal agreement with Spokane County Emergency Management. The agreement, renewed in May 2023, outline city obligations, including appointing an emergency management coordinator, designating representatives to the emergency management policy board and developing and maintaining both a COOP...
SPOKANE VALLEY — Spokane Valley deputies arrested two women June 21 after they allegedly used stolen credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at several stores in the Valley Mall. Morgan L. Nelson, 38, and Brandy Proia, 41, were booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree identity theft and second-degree possession of stolen property. The two women were released on their own recognizance the next day by Spokane County Superior Court Judge K. Stewart. Their arrest came after deputies responded to r...
SPOKANE VALLEY - A small plane made an emergency landing on the Horizon Middle School football field on June 23 after experiencing engine failure. The four occupants on board, including the pilot, were uninjured. At approximately 7:40 p.m., Spokane Valley deputies received reports that a Cessna 182 aircraft, about 6 miles southeast of Felts Field, had declared an emergency. The pilot reported engine failure, making it impossible to reach the airport. Spotting the football...
SPOKANE VALLEY - Sen. Mike Padden has been honored with the Statesmanship Legacy Award for his 28-year tenure in the Legislature. The award was presented by Modern Electric Water Co. on Tuesday, June 4, during the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association Energy Summit. Company CEO Joe Morgan praised Padden's dedication to public service. "Sen. Mike Padden's unwavering dedication and tireless advocacy for the people of Spokane Valley and the state of Washington have...
SPOKANE VALLEY - Two homeless men were booked into the Spokane County Jail last week after allegedly beating a man with a chain-wrapped club. Armando Guerro-Lopez, 44, and Richard Corrales, 36, were both booked into the jail for first-degree robbery. The men were being held on $500,000 bail, set by Superior Court Commissioner Eugene Cruz. Their arrest stems from a June 1 attack in a parking lot in the 5600 block of East Sprague Avenue. According to the Spokane County...
SPOKANE VALLEY — A convicted felon was back in jail in connection with a violent attack only two days after being released from prison. Logan P.L. Ortiz, 29, is being held in the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree assault-strangulation with sexual motivation and third-degree assault. Ortiz has previous convictions for first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, third-degree assault, criminal trespassing, residential burglary, retail theft, fourth-degree assault, malicious mischief and violation of a p...
SPOKANE – Chaos erupted on Memorial Day as a stolen van careened into another vehicle, leaving a trail of injuries in its wake. The reckless teenage driver, accompanied by three passengers, collided with a Kia Soul at a breakneck speed of approximately 50 mph on a residential street with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Witnesses described the driver as a 17-year-old white male with long brown hair and a beard, clad in Chuck Taylor shoes and a black T-shirt adorned with doberman pinchers. Following the collision, the j...
LIBERTY LAKE – A local man was sentenced to federal prison in connection with child pornography charges. Rick Lynn Johnson, 69, of Liberty Lake, was sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay $60,000 in victim restitution after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice Between May 30, 2021, and June 16, 2022, federal law enforcement discovered numerous instances of child pornography being downloaded by Johnson, court records show. In November 2022, federal agents executed a...
SPOKANE VALLEY – In a letter following the May 21 city council meeting, City Councilman Al Merkel expressed his deep concern and disappointment with the RFP process. “As a contract city, we should be fully capable of conducting a fair and transparent competition that clearly outlines an actionable scope of work and specific evaluation criteria,” Merkel wrote. “Unfortunately, this was not the case with our recent RFP process.” Merkel criticized the use of undisclosed criteria and personal relationships in the selection...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The Spokane Valley City Council approved a contract for a new homelessness outreach program amid concerns over the selection process. The council voted five to one to award the contract to Frontier Behavioral Health, with Councilman Al Merkel dissenting due to transparency issues in the RFP process. During the May 28th meeting, Gloria Mantz, Sarah Farr, and Eric Robison provided an overview of the RFP process. Mantz explained that the RFP was posted on the city website in March and advertised in local n...
SPOKANE VALLEY — MultiCare and Premera Blue Cross have successfully negotiated a new agreement, ensuring that all MultiCare hospitals, facilities, and providers will remain in-network for patients with Premera commercial, Individual Exchange Plan, and Medicare Advantage products. In a statement provided by Kevin Maloney, Media Relations Manager of MultiCare, the update confirms the new agreement is effective immediately. “This agreement ensures that all MultiCare hospitals, facilities, and providers will remain in-...
Note: U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, contributed to this column. American farmers feel like the little red hen working alone to grow the wheat, mill the flour, and make the bread, as they struggle to meet labor demands across sectors. Few domestic workers find agricultural employment attractive and our nation’s visa program to hire foreign workers for agricultural work simply does not work for employers or employees. From spring pruning to fall harvest farm labor dema...
Progress comes with wind turbines I am a fourth-generation farmer in Whitman County and am writing to express my support for the Harvest Hills Wind Project. I know that some people in our community are having a hard time with the change, which is why I want to make sure all voices are heard. Farming is all about helping people. Our farm has provided food for thousands upon thousands of people through the years, and now we have the opportunity to provide for people in a new way. It is a really good feeling to be able to...
SPOKANE – A local man has been arrested following a May 22 standoff. Jae W. Lee, 36, is facing charges of second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and obstructing law enforcement. His arrest stems from a Spokane County Investigative Unit detectives’ attempt to serve a warrant at his residence. Lee barricaded himself inside despite repeated announcements from law enforcement, records show. The situation escalated, necessitating the intervention of the SWAT Team due to Lee’s behavior and the cluttered, hazardous condi...
SPOKANE – Business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs seeking insights into navigating the intricacies of permitting, business licensing, public works bidding, and related transactions with the City of Spokane Valley, are urged to participate in a complimentary one-hour event scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. Advanced registration is mandatory for both in-person attendance at the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, located at 10808 E. Sprague Avenue in Spokane Valley, and virtual participation via Z...
SPOKANE VALLEY – During the first week of April, burglars struck a storage facility in the 3700 block of East 55th Avenue, stealing an estimated $10,000 - $15,000 worth of property from at least five victims. The suspects arrived in a Nissan 4-door sedan, believed to be an Altima, with visible front-end damage to the driver's side hood and bumper area. Although the cameras failed to capture the suspects' faces clearly, investigators are confident that individuals familiar w...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Spokane Valley Major Crimes Detectives apprehended 29-year-old Brendon M. McCullough, a repeat felon, following his involvement in a shooting incident on March 8. McCullough faces multiple felony charges in connection with the altercation. According to ongoing investigations, McCullough and the deceased, 16-year-old Nathaniel Byers, purportedly ventured to an apartment on S. Bowdish Road to carry out a drug-related robbery. McCullough, accompanied by an adult female, engaged in the robbery within the a...
Hearing examiner rules changed SPOKANE VALLEY – At the April 30 city council meeting, a new amendment to the Spokane Valley Municipal Code was passed with a vote of six to one. Kelly Konkright, the city attorney, clarified that this amendment was crucial for enforcing chapter five of the municipal code, ensuring smoother proceedings in the future. The changes focus mostly on code of conduct violations, and gives council members who’ve been accused of violating that code the ability to to demand a hearing before the City Hea...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Spokane Valley deputies responded to an attempted burglary and a suspicious vehicle call near the same location, determining the vehicle was an unreported stolen car used in the burglary attempt. The suspect, 20-year-old Damien D. Ocacio, matching the description from store surveillance footage, was arrested shortly afterward. Deputies were called to investigate a suspicious vehicle at the junction of North Farr Road and East Main at 6:30 am on April 24. They found a black Toyota Camry partially blocking the...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Deputies responded to a domestic violence call involving a suspect threatening four victims with a handgun at 5:00 pm on April 26. After fleeing toward I-90, the suspect, Michael M. McCoy, was located by Air 1 Flight Crew during a scheduled patrol flight and safely apprehended with the assistance of ground units, including a K9 team. According to the caller, McCoy was believed to be armed and had threatened to kill four family members, last seen sitting on the north side barrier wall of I-90. The victims r...
ORCHARDS – Spokane County Deputies responded to the 26000 block of East River Road to aid bail bond enforcement agents following an incident where a man backed into one of their vehicles. The individual, identified as 34-year-old Ryan M. Folger, reportedly displayed aggressive behavior and was armed with a pistol. However, he was eventually safely apprehended by the agents. Upon arrival, deputies placed Folger in handcuffs and retrieved a loaded black semiautomatic pistol from his possession. A background check on Folger u...
SPOKANE VALLEY — A local man shoplifting a honeybun is being held in the Spokane County Jail on multiple cahrges. Mayger D. Jones, 23, is being held on $2,500 bond on charges of possession of a stolen firearm, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and third-degree theft. His arrest came at about 7:35 p.m. April 22 after deputies responded to a call of a man walking round the WinCo Foods grocery store, 9718 E. Sprague Ave., with a gun on his hip, records show. The caller, a store employee, reported the man, later i...
SPOKANE VALLEY — Deputies responding to a burglary call April 23 arrested a man found sleeping in vacant room. Malcolm J. Davis, 29, was arrested at about 9:15 a.m. at Hometown Studios, 12803 E. Sprague Ave., records show. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree burglary and third-degree malicious mischief, records show, noting he had also bonded out of jail in February for allegedly stealing a Braille phone from someone’s hand. As a result of the new arrest, his bond was revoked for the pre...
